How to Use an eSlate Voting Machine

The eSlate voting machine depicted in these new "I Voted" stickers is used across Travis County and other parts of Texas.

Photo by Nathan Bernier for KUT News

In case you're new to the eSlate voting machines used in Travis County and other parts of Texas, here's an instructional video courtesy of San Mateo County in California. The only big difference is that we don't have the paper backup that they do.

Perhaps if we had a paper backup like they do in San Mateo County, there would be less distrust of these machines. KUT's Erika Aguilar reported in October on one group's efforts to revert to a paper balloting system.

“The current voting system machines in Travis County, the only criteria that it meets, is that they are accessible,” said [Karen] Renick [with Vote Rescue]. “Otherwise they are not accurate because the count is done secretly inside of the machine, so there is no way to know if they are. It is unfair to count ballots out of the public’s view, so it’s not fair.”

County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said the plan for Travis County voters in the future is to fill out a paper ballot, submit it through a reader and have the voter self verify their vote. It would be a paper ballot, but counted electronically. But it will be at least a couple of election cycles before that happens.